NORFOLK — Norfolk has seen 249 violent crimes in the last three months. As the weather heats up, police believe those numbers will increase in the city’s criminal hotbeds.
They could be right.
According to a 2014 United States Department of Justice study on crime trends and the seasons, the rate of violent crimes like rape, aggravated assault and murder are higher in the summer months.
The same study found that robberies don’t spike during a particular season.
CrimeView Community, an online program that tracks crime over a three-month period, shows violent incidents reported across the city since February, with high concentrations in neighborhoods near Downtown Norfolk.
To prevent the typical summer spike in areas that tend toward crime, especially violence, the Norfolk Police Department will increase their patrols in the coming months.
Some communities will see an increase of officers in marked cars, on bicycles and walking the streets. They will also likely see K9 and gang suppression units.
“We cannot allow the few people engaged in criminal activity to steal from our community members their sense of safety and welfare,” Police Chief Larry Boone wrote in an April 28 news release.
But Boone says police can’t prevent the summer spike alone.
He asked community members to report suspicious people and activities to the non-emergency number: 757-441-5610.
Those who want to submit an anonymous tip to police can also call the Norfolk Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
The police department is also putting a focus on gang activity and has recently added a tip form on their website.
“We need your assistance in forging a common bond against crime,” Boone wrote. “We will give 110 percent in our efforts, but simply cannot do this alone.”
Mayfield can be reached at adrienne.m@wydaily.com.
